The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-10-17

sown, tfeachery cOncelVeui anu the
very death knell of patriotism,
chivalrysand honesty rung out when
our leaders ceased to be our conf
dants. This assertion is proven. l
am sorry to say, it is so. If you
doubt, look at the political situation
of to-day. A space of three months
and half has passed. Traitors
have turned up and as might be ex-
pected use as their lash and weapon
this very accusation of dishonesty
against these men, forgetting that
they themselves are worse than those
whom they accuse. Patriotism is at
a discount, is jeered and laughed at,
and many are heard to express q
desire for the adoption of the coun-
try by some other nation as more
desirable state of affairs. After all
our trouble and work, to see us end
ing thus, is and would be deplor-
able indeed. say this honestly
and feelingly.
L cannot and never will be
demagogue or partisan of any party.
1t is, l think the more honorable
course for any man to point out the
faults of his party, with a view of
having them corrected, rather than
to hide them. 1t is the strongest
argument man can use in his favor
when he honestly acknowledges his
faults and gives satisfactory reasons
for committing them. This very
honesty carries conviction with it
that these errors will be corrected.
The Ministers are being accused
of having pledged themselves TO
a "secret organization" If the
League is meant, this looks like an
intentional perversion of facts. The
League was of necessity at first
secret. 1t was this organization
which started the reform movement,
and after starting it assimilated
with and merged into the Reform
Party. The League being identical
with this party, the Ministers having
been chosen by them, had certainly
to be in accord with their electors.
1t would be nonsense indeed to pre-
sumo that the Reform Party would
choose a Cabinet fromamong people
who did not want honesty or COM
potency in our Government. There
fore l maintain that the Ministry
had right to pledge themselves to
uphold the intentions of their party,
and to their party only, but not to
individuals. One of the main objects
of our reform was a thorough clean
ing out of Government officials,
starting with the Ministry and end
ing with minor clerkships. This
was meant only to apply to incom-
petent or dishonest employees or
those who were entirely superfuous,
and not to efficient, old, well tried
public servants. 1t was never in
tended, and is not now, that such
men should 60 out to make room
for men just because the first were
in office before the change, and the
latter helped to bring this reform
conversion about. If there were
not room for such an alteration
there would be no dissatisfaction.
But there is. l aver positively, there
are men now in the Government
employ who ought to have gone out
long ago, for the above mentioned |
legitimate and just reasons, whether
the men appointed are heavy or
light taxpayers, whether they have
been in the country 20 years or a
dogs watch, l should say ought not
to be made point of issue, if these
men are honest and competent.
The patriotism if questionable of
these poor devils, in my opinion, is
to-day the same love of country
which has so far distinguished and
characterized our richer brethren.
1t has dwindled down to cents and
dollars. The poor have very few
of these, hence their patriotic feel
ing can BID "crammed into one small
thimble." The rich have many and
cram theirs into the Banks. If these
struck and impudent men
have walked over the heads of the
solid men, who made this country
with their money and enterprise,
say there must be something wrong
with this "solid" faction because
the majority, yes the almost un-
animous votes of the poor and rich
alike have declared and endorsed in
favor of so-styled presumption"
These Ministers of ours are not
alone the Kings Ministers and the
peoples, but they are or ought to be
Ministers of the Reform Party as
well. If they then know that in
competency or dishonesty has ex-
listed and continues to exist in their
departments, and they will not make
these changes, l say they are acting
against the intentions and expecta-
tons not Of "some quarters" but
the whole Reform Party Or the
people. 1t is said that these very
desirable changes cannot be brought
about through the personal enmity
Of two of the Ministers against the
other two and their friends. Personal
enmity, personal friendship is the
of any party: It has
made us, the Reform Party, split in
TWO. And it is to be sincerely hoped
for, that the side which knows no
personal enmity or friendship in this
'eform of ours, but which will work
md uphold reform for reform sake,